Thursday, 29 October 2015

At least 11 people die mostly children, after boat carrying over 240 refugees sinks while arriving the island of Lesbos

At least 11 people, mostly children, have drowned after a
refugee boat carrying more than 240 migrants capsized near the island
of Lesbos on Wednesday, October 28. More than 200 were rescued, three
bodies recovered and 38 people are believed to be still missing.

The
tragedy started when the upper deck of an over packed fishing boat
collapsed on top of those packed below. Following the collapse, a second
boat accidentally rammed the boat carrying the refugees, sending
hundreds into the Aegean sea.

Trace Myers, a
volunteer in Lesbos with the charity Refugees Start, wrote on Facebook:

"Today is a day of death. Members of this team have worked relentlessly
to give CPR, support grieving people and have watched life pass from
children’s eyes."

"A woman lost her baby and her husband, another woman saw her three-
or four-year-old child die and her other child rushed to hospital." she added.

Dozens of paramedics and volunteers helped in the effort to assist
the survivors. The survivors were wrapped in foil blankets. Eighteen
children were hospitalized. Rescue efforts continued this morning with a
helicopter from the European Boarder Protection Agency, Frontex,
joining the Greek coast guard vessels to search for survivors and
recover dead bodies.